Wrap Artist

Christo to continue Colorado project, started with his wife, after gaining U.S. approval

Artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude always had an eye for the unimaginable. For decades, the married couple was known around the world for their unique wrapping of everything from footpaths and bridges to entire islands. In 2005, their project in Central Park called “The Gates” delighted New Yorkers and visitors alike.

For the pair’s latest adventure, they planned to suspend nearly six miles of fabric over parts of a 40-mile stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado. But with Jeanne-Claude’s passing in 2009, the extraordinary task suddenly became a solo act.

Now, Christo, the Bulgarian-born large-scale environmental artist, has finally been given official approval by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to turn their dream into reality. State and local approvals are still to come, but should be much easier after the BLM's green light.

The project, called “Over the River,” will consist of eight silvery panels suspended across nearly six miles of the Arkansas River to form a shiny canopy. This will be Christo’s first work constructed without the help of his wife and collaborator.

While still in the project’s early planning phase, Christo and Jeanne-Claude presented drawings, photos and artifacts from “Over the River” at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. Join My Generation for a look back at how their latest and perhaps most ambitious creation began.

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